Potato digger



Dec- 10, 1929- J. RUTHER 1,738,795

POTATO DIGGER Filed Jan. 15. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l fj Hf if Inl/6112101; gfx* M,

Dec. l0, 1929. J. REUTHER 1,738,795

POTATO DIGGER Filed Jan. 15. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ev I Q1 L Patented Dec. l), 1929 Unirse STATES insges man asumirse, .or .EAST AURORA, New rosa ro-'rAr-o @wenn Applicationmeasgamrafy 13, iezs serial Naselieomf f .5 the plow and separates the potatoes from the earth and vines.

r -ineof its objectsis Vto improve the sepa- -rafrory of:` such diggers with a viewV of increas- .ing itsagitatingand separating action.

io qAnother` object o'ffthe'invention'istopro- 'vide ka machine of Ithis character which is simple, compact and inexpensive in construction, and whose Vparts are so. constructed and arranged-as to reduce Vthe draft to minimum. llin theacconu-'iariyir-1g'drawings y Figure l isa sideelevation ot apotatof'di'gger embodying imy invention. VFigure '2 -is a top plan l'view thereof. Figure Sfis an en 'larged'fragmentaryisi'de elevation ofthe dig- 29 ger, partly in section, and showing the drive mechanism. Figure 4 i-s fan enlarged "longitudinalsection on vline 1 -l, Fig. 2. Figure 5is Aany enlarged fragmentary cross section on line '5e-'5, Figure 14. Figure-6 isa perspective 'itfSview of one of the separator bars. Figure' is ailiorizontajl-section onlineZ-?, 'Figure 4 Similar chara-eters'o'f reference indicate corresponding' parts throughout the V.Several views. Y

259 'The frameo'i the machine comprises hori- Wheels 15 are Llinedinthe :usual manner, WhileV thefront end o-theframe'is ,supportedy on the customary dnat 'truck 16 gai-idj is l pivotally connected Ythereto @by the' usual ,.yole 1i? At its-rearfendthe machinehas a supporting.V

yoke :18- provided with a seat 19. A' "Suitably 'fastened to the "frontends of the inclined rame'abars lll is the usuallpointed -plow 20.

` The separator 'mechanism, whichl is, operatively'- connectedjto the 'tractionwheels' '15, is

preferablyconstructed as follows(- *Fixed onltfhe'oppositeendsof the axle' 14 'hinfredsectionsy extendin from on osite z2 ,.b. i. l..

are gear wheels 2l which constantly -mesh `with pin=ions22fxedvonthe ends o-fa transverse counter shaft 23 disposed forwardly o'f' the axle and extendingthrough afhollowsha-t 24 suitably supported Qn the machine-frame. Sprocket wheels 25 are loosely mounted on Vthe shaft 23 and eae'hc'arries Va clutch dog'26 lfor:engagement with -aratchet 271ormed on the companion pinion 22. A crank shaft '28 is arranged in the lower rear end of the ma- 16o chine in front of the axle 14 and is journaled in hearingslappliedtoftherlower ends of up- 4rights 29 securedv to theframe siderbars 10,511. lvMounted on the ends ofv this crank shai'tare comparatively small sprocket wheelsy '30 t5 around which and the sprockets vk25 ,drive chains 3l pass. Said -sproclretsBO arepre'ferably ofdiHerent-diameters-or the purpose 'oi varying the speed of rotation of the `crank shaft which directly vcontrols the movement 70 of the separator Velements 32. By this ar# rangement, when a coinparativelyslow speed 1s ,desiredto be imparted to the separatonas `Ifor digging in dry ground, the drive isy from that side of the machine on Whichthe larger sprocket 30 is located, and to this end the Companion sprocket wheel 25'is coupled with vthe respect-ive drive pinion 22 through the medium of its Vclutch dog 26,. F or a faster speed, Y as when digging in wet ground, the Adrive'is 55) taken through the smaller sprocket on the opposite side of the machine in the same manner. f y

Y The separator elements '82, which receive the material dug up bythe plow andfserveto separate the potatoes `from the earth and vines, Ypreferaby kconsist of a plurality ofloscillatory bars ,disposed lengthwise of themachine in parallelrelation and extending from the-discharge end ofthe'plowto a point lierwardly of the axle 14. `These separator vbars are so .suspended that during travel of the' machine over the ground an up and down and back Yandorth' pitchingmotion 1s im'- parted. to thema lor'thispfurpose, theyfarc 9 attached near their rear ends to suitable bear-` ingsfapplied tothe crank shaft 28, each of said bearingspreferably consisting of apa'irof sides oftlie'crank shaft and securedtogether 1U() Vthorough separation.

at their lower ends by a bolt 34. The opposing lower ends of the companion sections are spaced apart at their lower ends, as shown in Figure 7, to provide an openingV 340 for the discharge of dirt to prevent cloggingA of the bearings. Ears 341 are formed on the bearing-sections for securing the rear ends of the separator bars thereto. ,'When digging in wet and weedy soil, bar-extensions 32a may be secured to the rear bearing sections, such eX-V tensions being slightly inclined rearwardly and tending to hold back the dirt to insure its At the front end of the machine'and immediately in rear of and spaced from the bottom face of the plow 2O isa transverse'rod orshaft A35 supported at its ends in brackets. vFree to rotate on this shaft are a plurality of fianged guide spools or rollers 37 'upon which the front ends of the separator bars rest by gravity and over which they are adapted to reciprocate in response to the movements im-` i. parted to them by the crank shaft 28. These A Yguide rollers are held against endwise dis-V placement relative to one another by spacing sleeves 88 or'equivalent means. Asshown in Figure 4, the Vfront ends of the separator bars extend beneath the rear end'of the plow and the space between the latter and the guide rollers is suflicient to permit a limited vertical displacement of said bars. Along their opposite sides, the front ends of the separator bars may be provided with wear plates 39.

By mounting the separator bars in the manner described, the material dug up is more evenly distributed there over and the maxi mum agitation and greatest separating action takes place atthe rearends of the separator bars,

vwhere yit is needed, while the least agitation of the` latter takesl place at the front end of the machine adjacent to the shovel. Furthermore, by disposing the crank shaft near the rear ends of the separator bars, the load imposed thereon is reduced to a minimum, the draft is correspondingly made lighter and itheclutching of stones by the crank shaft vis eliminated. j

If desired, the separator bars 32 may be provided near their front ends and in their top edges with rearwardly-facing shoulders .40 which serve to force the dirt and potato vines toward the rear end of the separator, this structure being especially useful when the machine is working down hill,

Briely stated, the operation of the inachine is as follows V Y The, potatoes, earth and vinesdug up by the plow20 pass upon the receiving ends of the separator bars 32 which act to vigorously shake the earth and break up the lumps sufliciently to allow them to pass between the bars when they are in their separated. positions vrelative to one another. As before stated, the

action `of the separator bars gradually' in creases-from their front to their; rearV ends,

catching of stones to reduce the draft to a Y minimum, and to prevent the clogging of the bearings to which the separator bars are attached. Furthermore, it is positive and relia able in operation, and when repairs are re quired, these can be made by the user himself and at a moderate cost.

I claim as my invent-ion:-

1. In a potato digger, the combination of a frame, a plow, a crank shaft arranged transversely of the frame adjacent its rear end, a transverse supporting rod arranged at the Yfront end of said frame and in spaced relation beneath the discharge end of said plow, a series of anged guide rollers mounted on said supporting rod and held againstendwise movement thereon, a plurality of'separator bars arranged sideby side lengthwise of the frame and connected at their rear ends to saidY crank -shaft,'the front ends of said ,bars restingV on said rollers and guided for Vlongitudinal movement thereon in the spaccil between said rod and the bottomk face of the plow, and wear plates applied to the sides of the front ends of said separator bars for engagement with the ianges of saidjguide rollers.

2. Ina potato digger, the combination of a frame, a plow, a crank shaftv mounted on said frame, a plurality, of separator bars ar'- Y ranged lengthwise of the frame and journaled on said crank shaft, and bearing members for` the separator bars applied to the crank shaft and each including a pair of hinged sections constructed when closed to form an'opening for t-he discharge of foreign vmatter collected on the bearingwalls, lone of said sections hav ing an attaching earthereon for receivingr the adj oiningend of the corresponding separator bar. v r Y 3. In a potato digger, the combination of a frame, a plow, a crankshaft mounted on said frame adjacent its rear end,ua guide member disposed at the front end of the frame adjacent the discharge end. of the plow, bearing memberson the crank shaft andeachconsisting of a lpair of hinged sections and provided with attaching ears, and a'pluralityof sectional separator bars arranged length- Y wise of the frame and connected attheir` op'- of the front bar-sections being supported on said guide member.

4. In a potato digger, the combination of a frame having an' aXle at its rear end, a plow, a plurality of separator bars disposed rear- Wardly of said ploW, actuating mechanism i for said separator bars including a shaft,

gears fixed on the aXle at its opposite ends, a

counter shaft journaled in said frame and carrying pinions meshing with said gears, sprocket Wheels loosely mounted on the counter shaft, companion sprocket Wheels fixed on the shaftl of said separator bar actuating mechanism, sprocket chains passingaround said Wheels, the sprocket Wheels on said last-named shaft being of diierent diameters, and clutch means for the counter shaft sprocket Wheels for controlling the drive of the crank shaft through one or the other of its sprocket Wheels.

JOHN REUTHER. 

